Prompts of Our Life
by Filthr
Summary: Events in the life of a surgeon in love with a baker. Read as they take on their lives together in cute one-shots, each related but not chronological. Chapter 5. Itachi visits Hinata at work. Unfortunately, not everyone knows who he is.
1. Teach Me

So, this is a series of one-shots that I've been thinking about for a while. They are based in an AU, and all reside around the same AU with different self-prompts that come to my head. There will be no regular upload, but each chapter will be a story of its own. Enjoy!

**Teach me**

A huff of annoyed air escaped the lips of a young man, trying to control the almost murderous feeling that overtook him at this sudden revelation. He understood they were only students and first years at that. But, seriously? He placed his long index finger and thumb on either side of his temples thoroughly to try and erase the growing tension that seemed to be growing.

"What's the matter? You're never usually so stressed after dealing with students for one day." The soft and concerned voice of his fiancé broke him from his thoughts. Dark irises followed the sound and looked up from the glaring brightness of his laptop. Instead, he turned to his beautiful partner who had been flittering around the kitchen with practised ease, humming a quiet tune as they both worked on their own duties. However, now she seemed to sense his annoyance and looked up worried. He was usually such a patient man. But after the day he had, he felt his rope growing far shorter than usual. And by rope, he meant sanity.

"Nothing, love. I've just seemed to raise my expectations too high for first-year students." His voiced carried tired. Annoyance clearly bubbling beneath the calm exterior of his handsome face. The woman hummed and stared at him for a moment. Almost envious that he could be frustrated and still look picture perfect. Meanwhile, whenever she was freaking out over a late cake order, or an employee messing up times, she was a blubbering, hot mess. The world was cruel. Shaking her head, she placed down the large knife she'd been using to cut the vegetables for her stew. Instead walked around the small bench to wrap her arms around her lover's waist and rest her chin against his shoulder as he slouched into the bench. She began to quickly read over the notes he'd made on his current students' file. Itachi was thorough in every piece of his life. Which meant he also took teaching new doctors seriously.

As anyone should, she supposed. Every time he would get a new batch, he would create a folder for that student and write their strengths and weakness in the field within that folder, every day. He'd once said it allowed him to see their progress from the beginning to the end of their placement. If they were really bad or it had just been nerves getting to them originally. Wide pupilless eyes roamed over each word. The column defining what the student lacked clearly beating the benefits in size. Her partner was known for being a harsh teacher. But he was the best, he wouldn't let you get away with half-efforts, because he always gave his all. You were to meet his almost impossible standards, but he was not unfair. Just strict.

"Requires revision of anatomy?" Her slender eyebrows furrowed together in question. Wasn't that supposed to be a something every student in the medical industry knew? Especially a doctor… Another huff escaped the male currently in her hold. This must have been what was bugging him the most. And quite frankly, she wasn't that surprised. Itachi was one of the top surgeons in Japan. He'd worked hard for that title. Naturally, his opinion on anatomy was quite high given his job, and other doctors not knowing it as thoroughly as he did was his pet peeve. He understood that not all doctors required the level of knowledge he did on the subject, but they did need a basic knowledge of where everything was to be an effective doctor. Apparently, that memo had been lost in the new academy curriculum. The corner of his lips tilted down in annoyance once more.

Hinata almost giggled at her partners' current state. He was never quick to anger; it was one of the reasons she loved him so because she didn't like aggressive confrontation. When they fought, it was far more quiet communication than screaming matches she had witnessed some couples have in her bakery. Or maybe wedding planning just brought out the worst in some people… Shaking her head to re-rail her thoughts. The point was, there was only one thing that could tick him off quite this fast. And it wasn't exactly a secret amongst the medical crew. Doctors not knowing their anatomy peeved Itachi, to say the very least. Pressing her dusty pink lips to his cheek, she squeezed his waist reassuringly.

"Well if anyone can teach him, it will be you. And he will never question the relevance of anatomy knowledge again." She giggled beside him, trying to lift his mood rather than make him sourer at her teasing. Luckily, she felt him chuckle beneath her. Smiling, she lifted her arms to wrap around his neck lightly before releasing him to continue her former duties, knowing she'd pulled him out if his little mood.

"I will, but it bothers me schools don't teach anatomy the way they used to. Or students now just don't see the relevance. Even you would know more than this guy." His voice was lighter, almost teasing as he began to type again.

"I mean they teach it in the first year, it's the base foundation to everything we do. He should know where the organs are in the body. It's not like I'm expecting him to tell me the name of each bone… which he should be able to do in all honesty." She almost laughed as his dejected look, almost like a disapproving father would a failing son. She'd gotten that look a few too many times in her life. Shaking the ominous thought from her head, she smiled warmly and began to pour the vegetables into the bubbling broth before turning the flames down low to simmer instead.

"You maybe being a bit too harsh, dear. He probably knows more than the average person does." She muttered as she began to add spices to the broth, sniffing and tasting along the way to make sure it was perfect. She made an approving sound as she scooped some broth into a teaspoon and blew on it gently as to not send it everywhere. Cupping a hand beneath to stop the excess from dripping onto the floor, she made her way slowly in front of Itachi, raising the spoon to his lips. He reached up to grab her hand, bring her closer as he wrapped his lips around the spoon and swallowed the flavourful liquid before pressing his lips to the back of her hand and releasing her. Pale cheeks instantly flushed pink at the act and she pouted at his ability to make her flush over the littlest of gestures.

"Beautiful." His charming smirk did little to answer her question of whether he meant the broth or her. _Probably both_. She giggled and placed the lid on the pot and left it to simmer. Drying off her hands, she began to walk to the living room to lay down for what seemed like the first time all day. Her feet aching from a long day at work while she cuddled up on the longer section of her pillowy, cream, L-shaped sofa. She fell in love with it as soon as she had sat down at the store. Her eyes instantly turning to Itachi's in an instant and he laughed, turning to the dealer, nodding that this would be the one. A grin slipped onto her lips. He spoilt her far too often, and she was so lucky to have found him. In her dazed state, she vaguely felt the pressure of the sofa shift as Itachi sat beside her head, placing his laptop on the arm of the sofa. Lifting her head up, she allowed him to settle behind her and laid her head on his lap, in her favourite position. She smiling and turned to him, still typing away at his computer.

"So how do you plan on teaching them?" She always liked to hear how her fiancé taught things. He had such an interesting mind being a genius, and he understood the different ways people learnt things. Maybe that's why he never accused her of being stupid like her father had when she struggled slightly in culinary school. He once told her that she needed a mixture of theory and practical work. That she learnt easier by trial and error. It may have taken longer than being able to pick it up from a book but ultimately had the same effect. She smiled. He would have made a wonderful teacher had he not loved medicine so much. Although he would probably be hated due to his strict methods. She chuckled lightly, imagining kids trying to throw paper balls at him, only to have him catch them and peg them back in an instant, declaring detention to a grumbling kid and a laughing classroom.

"I was thinking maybe just sending them to an autopsy. They'll be able to get first-hand experience where things should be and why." Hinata almost grimaced at the thought of cutting open a dead body. She knew it had to be done, but she couldn't understand how people could stomach it. Itachi often had to leave gruesome details of his job when telling her about his day because she used to almost faint when he mentioned them initially. She was a baby, but she didn't care. She would stick to cake decorating while her genius of a future husband would continue his work with blood and guts. Feeling slightly queasy at the thought, she tried to think of something else.

"I remember doing that in high school. Dissecting frogs and having to tell the teacher what organ was what." Hinata shuddered at the memory. She had fainted at that. Itachi chuckled from above her. Suddenly a thoughtful expression passed over his face. She looked up at him with a tilted head. He began to move to close his laptop and place it on the couch beside them where it wouldn't fall and shifted so he could look down at her better, his hands beginning to massage her scalp. Hinata hummed in approval as his deviously good hands eased away the days' tension.

"What's this?" His sudden question confused her. She opened her eyes and looked at his oddly, her mind trying to process what he was asking before it hit her.

"…Brain?" She muttering in a hesitant answer. She almost gleamed as he nodded with a smirk. Getting his approval was always worth learning. He suddenly leant down over her, pressing his lips to her closed eyelids. She giggled and looked up at his once he leant back.

"Eyes." She grinned up at him. Nodding once more, he moved his hands and gently rubbed them over the shell of her ear, causing a shudder to run down her body. She pouted up at him, witnessing the teasing in his eyes, knowing he'd done it on purpose.

"Ears." The pout didn't dissolve until he leant down once more and kissed her button nose and then her pouting lips. As he pulled away, she followed him subconsciously and blushed as he chuckled once more.

"Nose and mouth." She hummed, quite enjoying their little game, as mundane as it was. His hands suddenly dipped down further, tracing over her chest just slightly to the left in a medium-sized circle.

"Heart." She mutters as her cheeks began to flush once more at the sensation of his finger tracing over the thin fabric of her basic white shirt. He began to trace a small circle just above the heart shape, before trailing it off somewhere near her neck. Her eyebrows furrowed in frustration. She had no idea what he was trying to tell her. Something to do with the heart? She looked up at him in question.

"I don't know…" She almost felt bad saying it. She felt like she _should_ know even thought that was ridiculous. Itachi smiled from above her.

"Superior Vena Cava." She loved it when he got technical. He sounds just as smart as he was, but she didn't approve of him putting it into her test. She wasn't a doctor, how was she supposed to know that? A pout formed on her lips. She wanted to do well. This time both of his hands lift to trace large, oddly angled triangles over her entire chest, this fingers tracing through the valley between her breasts, causing her to turn a deeper shade of red. Knowing he was doing it on purpose.

"L-Lungs." She stuttered out as she tried to suppress some of the heat in her face. His hands suddenly stopped and began an odd motion where his index finger and thumb spaced apart a couple inches and slowly dragged from the top of her throat all the way down to her sternum repeatedly. Her eyebrows furrowed in thought.

"Windpipe?" He made a sound, clearly not what he was expecting her to say.

"Well, technically half correct. But what travels lower than the windpipe?" His voice was turning into one he used on his students, and she wasn't exactly unhappy about it. She found it lowered slightly, deepened as he took a more authoritative tone when teaching. She thought harder for a moment before gasping as she realised, suddenly feeling like she was practising for a very important test. Well… she was. Itachi's anatomy approval. A very difficult test indeed. Giggling slightly, she answered.

"Oesophagus." She too had loved the idea of anatomy. In books, that is. Anything squishy in real life sent her running. He nodded his approval once more and lowered his hands passed her breasts, this time tugging up her shirt to sit under her well-endowed chest as he began to trace a similar shape as he had previously. Except below the heart this time. Thinking, she tried to remember what he had said earlier.

"Superior Vana Cava?" She knew it was wrong, it sounded wrong, but she couldn't remember exactly how he had said it. Chuckling, he corrected her.

"Vena Cava. And close. It's opposite." She thought for a moment, tilting her head as she looked away from him. His pretty face distracting her from thinking. Opposite…

"Inferior." She looked up at him, peering through one eye as she tried to lessen the blow of his disapproval. But it never came; instead, she felt a gentle squeeze around her waist and knew she was correct. Once again, she beamed up at him. She could totally be a doctor, what was she thinking. She giggled as she imagined herself in a white jacket and fainting the minute someone came rushing through, covered in blood from bad accident… Maybe not. She would end up needing assistance more than the patient. He began tracing a large triangle around her sternum, his finger grazing just below her bosom and around again.

"Liver." At least for her. She questioned whether Kiba's was still there after how much he would drink at parties. Even Ino at-work celebrations. He began to trace an orb on the opposite side of her sternum, overlapping her liver slightly.

"Stomach." She grinned at her impeccable anatomy knowledge. She was doing better than she thought she would. However, his next motion reminded her, she still wasn't as good as her love. A small oval right next to the stomach. She furrowed her eyebrows in question once more.

"Spleen." Came the voice of her love and she blanched slightly.

"I… didn't think it was there… I didn't know where it was but certainly not there." She giggled as she motioned for him to continue. She was enjoying this far more than she should, and she could tell Itachi was too by the smirk on his face and the hint of determination in his eyes. He liked to teach. He motioned a small circle over her liver but to the bottom.

"Gallbladder." With a nod, he continued. This time making the shape of a banana beneath everything he had already drawn on her.

"Pancreas." Maybe all those weird study sessions on biology her father forced her to do growing up actually helped. If only her biology class test actually covered human anatomy. Clearly, she would have gotten better grades. Following on, he traced a large rectangle in a square around her belly, followed by gradually thinning the rectangle as he moved further inward to her belly button.

"Intestines." She giggled slightly as he traced her bare stomach, she was remarkably ticklish, and he knew this. He stopped and circled her lower right belly. She lit up at this.

"Appendix!" She almost shouted at knowing something more complicated. She only knew because her little sister had moaned for days about it hurting right there and Hinata had grown so worried she called up Itachi before they had officially started dating and asked if she should be worried. Of course, he immediately said yes and told her to go to the hospital immediately when she described the pain. Itachi's thoughts were somewhere similar as he glanced down at the woman beneath him, so eager to please as she played his little game, admiring just how smart she really was, even though many thought otherwise. She just wasn't one to show it off. He supposed after so many years of being told otherwise, it would affect her belief in her abilities. His eyes narrowed very slightly. He hated that man for that. She hadn't deserved it then, and he was glad she didn't deal with it now. He was proud it was half thanks to him. He helped her grow that little backbone. He turned back to her and smirked at the determination in her eyes.

"Okay, final test." His hands began to draw two identical, rather beanie shapes in her opinion, on either side of her body, just on the edge of her ribcage.

"Kidneys." She giggled at her childish idea of two large kidney beans in her stomach. He nodded once more and drew lines gradually getting closer together as they came to her bladder. That one was obvious. She had felt it numerous times when she held off going to the bathroom when she was almost finished decorating a cake or finishing piping a batch of pastries. But she wasn't sure what the lines were.

"Urethra?" She remembered the word and vaguely that it had to do with her bladder. She had been too embarrassed to go this far when she was learning and had skipped over it. Itachi shook his head and explained.

"Ureter. They're similar, but their positions are different. Ureter travels urine from the kidneys to the bladder, and Urethra carries the urine out of the body." It was weird to hear him sound so serious when talking about peeing. She giggled and sat up, turning to him as her shirt fell back over her exposed belly.

"How did I go?" She thought she had done okay, although it was the very basics of anatomy. He smiled at her, which caused her to melt in her spot. This was why she always wanted to make him happy. His smile could lighten her darkest days. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers in a firm kiss, nipping at her bottom lip before pulling away to smirk at her bright red face.

"You did very well. Even better than that damned student." She laughed at his answer and crawled her way into his lap, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as he did the same to her waist.

"Well, now you know how they can teach themselves." She giggled at the idea of Itachi telling his students to go practice on a lover. Those poor souls. But that's what you get when you don't study anatomy before being a student of a very accomplished anatomy lover. And she was very aware, just how much Itachi loved her anatomy.


	2. Timing is Everything

_Timing is Everything_

* * *

She hated this. She hated every little thing about this situation. It was exhausting. She had never hated a cake so much in her life, but as she sat on the cold, white tiles of her apartment kitchen, staring at a two-tier cake with nothing but buttercream hastily smoothed around… She felt the cold, consuming tendrils of defeat slowly begin to creep over her hunched frame. Huffing, the woman slowly stood and stepped back from the centrepiece in her kitchen. Tired eyes taking in the catastrophic mess that was her haste baking. Flour covered almost every inch of her benchtop and cabinets, even herself as she looked down, noting she had forgotten to put on her favourite purple apron in her haste to complete the cake. Numerous spatulas, beaters, piping bags, icing, fondant, decorating tools, and random colours of frosting were everywhere. And she hadn't even gotten to the decorating yet. Just prepping for it. She let out a small defeated groan as she decided to sit on a stool and place her forehead against the soothing cold of the bench. Thinking about how much of a mess her day had already been, and how it wasn't going to be over anytime soon, no matter how much her body begged her to rest.

While wallowing in her own defeat, she neglected to hear the front door open as she tried to think how she was going to complete an entire wedding cake in one night, without ringing the poor, probably stressed bride, and tell her the wedding cake would be late, or even no existent after being so adamant they would have it on time during the appointment. Suddenly, she jumped as she felt warm hands gently slide onto her shoulders and massaged her neck gently. Causing her to slump into the seat even further as the feeling of sleep came rushing came back with a vengeance. The only thing stopping her from falling asleep then and there was the voice that broke the silence she'd been in for hours now.

"I'm going to assume I'm not the only one who has had a long day." The corners of her mouth peaked as she listened to his dry joke. She could hear the sleep in his voice, low and husky like it always was after he finished another long shift. Sometimes when it was really bad, they would lie in bed while he laid against her chest and she played with his hair, listening to him complain about his issues and certain patients. Careful to not break confidentiality while still letting her understand his frustrations. One almost wouldn't believe Itachi ever complained. He was always so well-mannered and confident, patient and resilient with patients. No matter their attitudes or situations. He only ever received glowing reviews from patients and bosses alike. It took a long time for him to finally confide in her. She always knew that deep down, things must get to him. It's a hard job, with a lot of expectation, especially for someone as gifted as him. She had once accidentally walked in on him in the shower, and he'd been hunched over, with his face in his hands. She could almost feel her heartbreak as she watched his body shudder, the sound of sobs being overshadowed by the rush of water. She'd opened the door and ignored the immediate spray of freezing cold-water colliding with her clothed form. Wrapped her arms around his shoulders and let him cry into her instead.

Swallowing that memory, she leans back into her lover. As much as she complained about her work, it was almost comforting to know it really didn't matter in the larger scope of life. If she stuffed up, someone would be upset over a cake. If Itachi made a mistake, it could mean life or death for somebody. It made her job seem entirely less stressful. She opened her eyes to once again gaze over the mess of her kitchen and narrowed them. It didn't help with the motivation, though.

"What happened? You don't usually bring cake's home unless it's urgent. And that's rare." She smiled slightly at his subtle compliment.

"One of my apprentices, Matsuri, accidentally tripped and tumbled into a stand. Sent the wedding cake for soon-to-be Mrs Oortori into the ground. It's due at 9am tomorrow." Hinata sighed as she flashbacked to the accident. The poor girl wasn't paying much attention, had been complimenting everyone on how good the said wedding cake looked completed. How the bride and groom were going to love it and began daydreaming about her future wedding, and how she'd absolutely request a cake from here. During her little daydream, she fumbled and while trying to stop herself, managed to tumble even further and smacked her back into the cake stand, forcing it to topple over, and with it, the completed cake. Hinata had watched as the cake fell from the pedestal and had imagined her following night of chaos even before the cake hit the ground. For a split second, she had been furious, wanted to yell at anything, which would have unfortunately been Matsuri, before she composed herself.

"She didn't mean to. I'm positive the poor thing was in tears before the cake even fell. I had to take her aside and reassure her she wasn't going to be fired and fail her entire course off of this. Honestly, if it wasn't her, it probably would have been me that did it." Hinata giggled as she remembered the bright red face of her pupil, tears of happiness streaming down her eyes as she told the girl she wasn't going to be fired, and that mistakes happened. It happened. You couldn't change that. And Hinata firmly believed that things always happened for a reason. Even bad things. Besides, she was known to be a bit of a clutz. So, her toppling over a cake wasn't that far fetched of an idea. In fact, from memory, she had done it before as well.

A secret smile wrapped itself onto Itachi lips as he listened to his partner, staring at the utter cake bomb that had desecrated his kitchen. Trust her to sympathise with a cake destroyer, rather than yell at them. He would have been furious. He probably wouldn't have yelled at them, but there would defiantly be some harsh words and consequences to their actions had he been in that position. But that's just one more thing he loved about her. She was far too kind and understanding for this world. She would give the world so that a stranger would stop crying. And he loved it. He'd always thought she would be an excellent nurse, if not for the easily queasy stomach of hers. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he gave a tight squeeze and kissed her temple softly.

"Well, if anyone can make a beautiful cake and decorate it in one night, it would be you. I know you can do it. And if you need me for anything, I'm right here." Hinata felt warm and fuzzy at his words, he always knew just what to say. With him by her side, she's sure she could run the world if you asked her. Shaking her head, she turned to him.

"You're tired, you've already had a long day. You don't need to add this onto it. Thank you though, I appreciate it." It sounded a bit weird, but her and Itachi had begun to verbally admit when the other was appreciated. Previously, it was always implied, but they both found it more helpful when it was physically stated, leaving no room for doubt in their once fragile, beginning relationship. Now it was more of a sweet habit. Hinata smiled up at him and made to jump off the stool with a renewed sense of purpose and grabbed her favourite apron, tying it on. She looked confused as she felt Itachi stand behind her, and reach over her easily to grab another black apron before stepping away.

"And so have you. You left that house the same time I did this morning, and I know you've been working on this since you got home. You've been just as busy as me, so I will help where I can." She smiled at his pointed look, moving to hug him tightly in thank you before turning back to her work. Placing her hands on her hips, she grinned and moved to turn her radio back on, lowering the volume to a less ear-piercing sound now that there was another person around. She began asking if Itachi could help clean up a bit and organise her stations so she could have somewhere to roll out her fondant, without accidentally putting another colour into the bright white paste. As he did that, she grabbed out a bright blue mat, and a bucket of fondant before beginning to knead the substance until it was palpable. Measuring was much easier when she had already done it all prior. She then smoothed the sweet blanket over the frosted cake, asking Itachi to hand her tools as she worked to remove every bubble and imperfection from the sheet of sugar.

Itachi smirked as he started to feel like a scrub nurse. Noting to begin saying please and thank you when he demanded his equipment from them from now on. He watched as his pretty fiancé began to hum quietly, suddenly in her own zone as she worked on her current masterpiece. He leaned back against the bench slightly, choosing to admire her while still handing out tools when asked. He could honestly say he had no idea about cooking or baking. He was forever hopeless at it. And when Hinata had come into his life in a flurry of flour and wooden spoons, he had been astonished. Amazed that a woman this talented hadn't been scooped up by another man yet. So he decided he was going to rectify it almost immediately. He had worked hard to get her attention. He was quite taken back when she didn't show immediate interest in something more between them. She had even told him she liked being friends well before he had ever actively brought up being a couple. And he found he liked that most. She liked him, more than the mere idea of being with an Uchiha, or a surgeon. At first, he had fallen in love with her looks and wonderful cooking. But eventually, he learnt there was so much to fall in love with and had decided that he wanted to fall in love with everything. He'd almost immediately asked her out after that realisation. He hadn't looked back since.

Hinata hummed to herself as she continued her work, immensely enjoying Itachi's help and company as they worked. Everything seemed to be going flawlessly and faster than when she had been stressing alone. She tried to teach him how to pipe ribbons and pretties onto a cake, but he was adamant he didn't want to mess up her flawless work. And that if he added something, he would notice the difference in quality. She thought he would have done perfectly well. He had attention to detail and the skills, but she couldn't help the warm feeling that spread through her chest as he compliments her work and skills. Things she had worked so tirelessly on, and people never really seemed to notice. Itachi mentioned how he liked small details, and it makes Hinata puff out her chest in confidence. She liked the small details. Those were what really made design work. Sure, people noticed big things, like toppers and streamers and such, but those never looked quite as good if there weren't details to help bring them out more. She was glad someone else noticed them as well. Even if he was a little biased.

"I'm going to spray-paint for a bit, so you can go rest for a little while." She smiled up at her current working partner, and lifted her chin slightly, silently asking for a kiss as he passed by her. She hummed as he granted it and turned back to her work. She worked slowly, not wanting to mess up on a crucial colouring. She couldn't get it wrong because it wouldn't just wipe away nicely. Once it was one, it's on. She gradually made her way through the cake, only sparing glancing at the time on the wall as it grew earlier into the morning.

When she finished and looked up, she saw a bright 3 on the clock and almost gasped in shock. Her head turned to her love, worried he was still awake when he was needed at work in only a couple more hours. She smiled when she witnessed him sound asleep on the sofa. She stood and quickly grabbed the quilt off the end of the sofa and draped it over him. Kissing his cheek lightly before returning to her work. She put her hands on her hips as she smiled at it. It was perfect. Maybe even better than when she first made it. She'd scrutinised the complete piece earlier and found things she wanted to change but couldn't and this time she made sure to implement her new ideas, and it turned out beautiful. She smiled at the two-tiered white cake, a gentle spray of various shades of green and brown on one section while the rest had a beautiful glossy shine. The white fondant was gently folded on either side of the green and brown spray as if the white cake was opening to reveal more colours. Delicate pipping of ribbons and decal covered the white portion, a very traditional looking wedding cake despite the odd section of colour and drapery.

She decided to leave it for the morning and finish the final touches after a couple of hours of sleep. And then begin the nerve-racking task of delivery that would take a few hours during the rush hour of the morning. She considered going to bed, however, one look at her love on the sofa, and she decided she'd prefer to be there. Sleeping alone never felt quite right anymore. So, taking off her messy apron, she wrapped down her face and arms before shimming her way into Itachi's arms, where he stirred, kiss her and went back to sleep.

* * *

Eventually, she felt stirring, opening her sleep covered eyes in a lot more effort than she would hope for, she watched as Itachi walked away from her, stretching as she assumed, he made his way to the shower to begin his morning ritual. She smiled and considered getting some more sleep, but that quickly passed as she remembered she still had a delivery to make ad some final touches to complete. She stood and reached for her phone, letting Ten-ten know that she would be opening the store alone today while Hinata made the delivery. The dark-haired woman stood and yawned, stretching out her arms as she tried to regain feeling in her body once more after such little sleep. She soon moved to the kitchen, anxiety rising as she thought of numerous ways the cake would be destroyed in the two hours, she'd been asleep. Maybe she left a window open, and a big gust of wind managed to knock the cake? What if she had left something too close, and it ended up falling onto the cake? What if cake burglars came and stole the cake right from under her sleeping nose? However, as soon as she saw the cake, her shoulders relaxed. It was fine. Perfect. Almost. She smiled, suddenly feeling energised as she reached into her fridge to receive a carefully packed box.

Luckily, the cake had fallen on the traditional side and hadn't damaged the numerous succulent shaped chocolates on the cake that her, Ino and Ten-Ten had spent hours moulding, spraying and building to look life-like. Thank Kami for small miracles. She had originally been confused when the bride and groom had come for a consultation. They were the owners of a very prominent gardening company. And apparently, they both loved succulents. Had hundreds of them all over their house. Originally, they had wanted an entire cake, covered in them, but had expressed worry that it was too untraditional for a wedding cake and would make traditional relatives upset. Hinata had tried to ease them, subtly informing them it was their wedding and their opinions where all they should worry about, but the wife then confessed she'd always dreamed of a pretty traditional white cake too.

So that was when Hinata had to put on her thinking cap. Eventually, they came to an agreement that three-quarters of the cake would be a traditional style wedding cake while opening up to a beautiful succulent garden section. That way, everyone would be happy. She had originally thought of creating a tier that resembled a garden, but it didn't quite fit the traditional theme. Eventually, she had thought of a cake draping and immediately fell in love with the idea. Hinata began to gently place the chocolate moulds onto the brown patches, bunching some and leaving some singles as she made her way down the cake. Finally, she reached for the last piece. The Bride and Groom topper. She smiled as she analysed it. It resembled the two customers, the groom sitting on a marble seat, one you would find in a garden with small succulents surrounding it, with the bride sitting on his lap while holding hands. It was very cute in her opinion, Ino had put so much thought into the idea, and she silently thanks all Itachi's anatomy books as she worked to mould human bodies out of chocolate for the first time in her life. Placing the figurine on the very top of the cake, using it to hide the beginning of the folded drapes carefully, she stood back and smiled widely, gently spinning it around on the wheel as she observed every inch, trying to find an imperfection to correct before she boxed it up and contemplated travel. She felt arms once again wrap around her waist, similar to last night when she felt like she would never finish this cake.

"It looks incredible. You did a wonderful job, just like I thought you would." Itachi mumbled above her as he observed the cake too. She grinned and turned to him, hugging him back tightly.

"I couldn't have done it without you. You always know what to say at the right time." Itachi smiled down at her and rested his forehead against hers.

"When I walked through the door last night, it almost felt like déjà vu. Like I'd stepped back in time for a moment. Seeing you and the kitchen covered in flour, cake tools everywhere and a stressed-out woman trying to make the dreams of cake lovers a reality. This used to be almost every day before you could afford the bakery." She smiled. It had felt like when she'd first decided to specialise in cake decoration. She'd dreamed of owning her own bakery for a long time, but her father had always told her it was a ridiculous notion. That bakeries were always bound to fail in an oversaturated market with cheaper fast food options. And she had believed him for the longest time. Until she met the love of her life. He had been so kind. Always complimenting her cooking and baking. All her efforts at school paying off. Eventually, she had the courage to tell him about her dream after her father had made it seem so impossible. He'd been so casual when he said it was a good idea. That she would easily be able to pull it off with skill like this.

Itachi had always had a sweet tooth, and no matter what city he went to, his goal was a find a nice coffee and well-made sweets. Which he'd mentioned was quite hard. When she had brought up her reservations with the idea, that bakeries were bound to fail as there were so many already, Itachi had given his usual genius answer. Offer something no other bakery here has. Make a staple piece that you can't get in other places. Force it to stand out. Offer something creative and different. It had put a whole new perspective on her dream. That maybe if she tried hard, and did something different, it wouldn't be so hopeless.

"It did. I was always so stressed doing it alone all the time. Always worried they wouldn't like my ideas, or the cake didn't taste nice." Hinata giggled as she realised, she hadn't really thought those things while making this one.

"You've come so far. I'm very proud of you. Everyone is proud of you." Smiling at the thought of her lovers very supportive family. They were everything she had wished for growing up.

"We've come so far." Itachi looked down at his shorter fiancé and smirked before leaning down and pressing his lips firmly to hers.

"We have."

* * *

Another small idea. Hinata frustrated with work. And Itachi just being his reassuring self… even though he has no idea what she's doing.

A big thank you to Awwanyaa! Your review was so sweet, and it definitely prompted me to write this a bit earlier than I was planning to.

Hope everyone enjoys!


	3. Fatherhood

I have had this idea for such a long time. And I love this chapter. It's not Itachi/Hinata directly but it's family. And I hope it touches you guys just as much as me. It's also necessary to make two of my next chapters Enjoy!

* * *

**Fatherhood**

The ground felt like it was shaking even as she stood outside of the booming party. If there was one thing students knew how to do, it was party. And Naruto proved it to the very letter. With his parents gone for the weekend on an important meeting, Naruto had decided to deck his families house out in strobe lights and DJ's for a night of 'ultimate fun' in his words. And to be honest, the place was beautiful. The large modern mansion shone as multiple neon lights flashed and twirled around the brilliant white architecture. The DJ's were enthusiastic as hundreds of young adults, and teenagers because some of those kids were definitely not 21 yet, came together to wash away their troubles and stress with alcohol and a good time. It wasn't really Hinata's scene but after having Naruto beg her to come and hang out like the old days with the crew before she abandoned university to peruse baking. No wonder her father was embarrassed of her. She swallowed and shook her head. She didn't like drinking much; she was a sad daydream kind of drunk. Always lost in her own thoughts. Her thoughts usually weren't pleasant when drinking. She breathed in deeply. She didn't need to think about this. She was having fun. The night had been so much fun despite her earlier reluctance. She had gotten beyond drunk and actually had the courage to get up and dance with her friends and play drinking games even though she was terrible at them because she had never done this before. She had really let go and, although it wasn't something she planned to do often as all, she did enjoy herself. She enjoyed the freedom of it. The reminder she was now her own person and didn't have to worry about what her family may think of her because they already thought the worst. And she didn't really care anymore. She cared, but just not enough to give up her happier current life. Because this was so much better.

She smiled to herself and sat on the cold marble steps. She couldn't help but wonder just how loaded Naruto's parents were to afford this place. She knew money. Her family was wealthy, Itachi's family was too. But her previous families like tradition over modern living, and her newer family were much more modest with money. They by no means acted poor or were frugal with spending, but they didn't feel the need to throw it in other peoples faces. They didn't feel the need to show off. And she loved them for it. The dark-haired woman hummed in thought. She really did love her new life and her new family were a big part of that. Itachi's family had welcomed her in with such open arms it was baffling to her. The Hyuga always said they were about family and loyalty. And that blood came first. Not the Uchiha. She soon learnt that Uchiha considered friends, family. They would accept anyone who was loyal and showed it, despite their cold appearance when you first met them. She chuckled as she thought to her first meeting. When Itachi had nervously asked her to meet his family, because his mother had not stopped asking about her and, embarrassingly, grandchildren. She had been so nervous too. She smiled to herself. Glancing down at the knee-length white sundress with blue floral patterns covering it. She had worn it that night too. It was her go-to outing dress. She had been so afraid his parents wouldn't accept her, she almost fainted on their doorstep.

* * *

_She stood outside their front door silently, taking deep breathes for what felt like hours before she finally got the courage to press the shiny silver doorbell. She liked that they used silver, not gold like her family. She preferred silver. Caught up in her silly thoughts, she'd almost missed the sight of her new boyfriend opening the door to her. She relaxed a little, seeing as he was the first person she saw and that she'd get to meet everyone by his side. She felt a little more confident with him beside her. She blushed as he smiled down at her and offered his hand. Kissing the back of hers as she took it and whispered how beautiful she looked as he guided her into the warm house. She blushed bright red and tried to hide it as he walked her through the house, giving her a mini-tour as he brought her towards the kitchen where his family presumably were waiting. She hoped her silence at the door hadn't made them wait to long. Maybe their dinner was going cold? Maybe she had messed up the times and was already running late? Maybe they knew she was there and were judging her spinelessness! But every bit of anxiety left her rigged body when she entered the large dining hall and heard a high-pitched squeal of excitement. She turned to the sound before she could take anything in, but felt herself lose grip of Itachi's hand before being enveloped into a bone-crushing embrace from a taller woman. She froze in the hug until she finally realised what was happening and slowly began to hug the unknown woman back. It would only be polite? She was so confused until she heard the woman speak. _

"_I'm so glad to finally meet you, Hina! Itachi's told us so much about you, you sounded absolutely adorable and my god you are everything I pictured!" As she spoke the woman let her embrace go but held Hinata by her shoulders, clearly giving the blushing girl a once over as she complimented her. Hinata was finally able to process what was going on and assumed the woman was Itachi's mother. They were very easily alike, and Itachi seemed to get his pretty face from his mother. She almost giggled at the thought. The woman was beautiful though, the only wrinkles insight were around her eyes and lips, signs that she enjoyed life to its fullest and wasn't shy about showing it. She immediately relaxed a bit more. She reminded her of her own mother. Hinata quickly threw the thought out the window as Itachi placed his hand gently on his mother shoulder. Easing her off before taking Hinata's hand again. _

"_Mother please, you're freaking her out." Itachi's voice was firm as he tried to make sure Hinata wouldn't faint on his family. But Hinata only smiled and managed to stutter out a response. _

"_N-No, It's o-okay. T-Thank you so m-much!" she cringed at the fact she was a stuttering mess again. They would probably think she's slow. _

"_Fugaku, look! Our new daughter is adorable!" Hinata's face turned bright red as she listened to Mikoto. Her eyes turning to the man being referred to. He stood from the table and made his way over to the small trio, his presence nothing but intimidating, and reminding her far too much of her Father. She cowered slightly and took his hand as he raised it to shake hers. _

"_Pleasure to meet you, Miss Hyuga." His voice was deep and gruff. But not totally unkind. She was still terrified of him though, and Itachi could tell. He had told her what his father was like when he asked her to come meet them, the fact he was strict and very much held man of the house mentality. But he was harmless and only wanted what was best for his family. She smiled at them both and then saw Sasuke, a familiar face entered the room with his usual smirk and a short wave. _

"_Sup, Hinata? Get used to those two." She giggled slightly, watching as Fugaku's attention turned to his son, a grimace on his lips while Mikoto turned around and began whinging to Sasuke that he should love them and they weren't that bad. As she took a seat at the table, full of relaxed faces and an overjoyed Mikoto presenting her cooking she'd been working all afternoon on proudly, she thought she could get used to this. She could get used to feeling like a family._

* * *

"Hinata!" said girl jumped as she heard her name being shouted over the loud music, pulled from her thoughts as she looked to the host of the event that looked even more far gone than she was. She smiled up at the blonde who quickly took a seat beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder, swaying them both as he laughed merrily and she joined along.

"You look wasted." He laughed at her and she giggled, her face red and quite dizzy. She nodded in agreement.

"You look worse." Naruto belted out laughter at her meek response. He grinned widely and nodded taking another swing of his beer.

"I'm glad you came tonight. It's nice having everyone together again. And you looked like you had fun." His smile was nothing but charming as he spoke to her. She smiled back at him. She could see why she was in love with him for so long. But she could also see why they never became an item. They were much better friends. And she would always hold him close as a friend. Suddenly he pulled her into a hug.

"You're welcome to stay, most of these guys are. But if you're gonna go home make sure you tell Itachi he is one lucky bastard, and if he ever hurts you, I'll kick his top-surgeon butt till he can't even fix his pretty face." She giggled as Naruto winked at her, knowing he was harmlessly teasing. Yes. She liked this dynamic much better. Nodding, she suddenly pulled out her phone. She should call Itachi and get her to come pick her up now. As much fun as it had been, she missed him and couldn't handle any more alcohol or loud noise. Turning to Naruto she nodded and wiggled her phone.

"Will do. Thanks for inviting me, Naruto. I did have fun. And if you need help cleaning tomorrow, let me know. Your mother will freak if she sees this." Another giggled left her lips as she thought of Kushinas expression at the mess of a house. Naruto rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and chuckled.

"I will absolutely take you up on that. I don't know if I can handle another whooping." They both laughed as Naruto spoke his goodbyes and ran back into the party, shouting that the night was only young and they still had hours to go. Hinata smiled as she looked down at her phone. 2 AM. Definitely early. But not party early. She chuckled to herself and tried to maneuverer her phone drunkenly as she searched for Uchiha. She locked onto Itachi's name finally and hit call, bringing it to her ear as she leaned against the pole beside her, pressing her heated forehead into the cool surface as she listened to the phone ring, waiting to hear her fiancés' lovely voice answer. She was suddenly broken out of her dazed state as she heard a gruff voice say her name. A voice of someone who had very much been in a deep slumber before their rude awakening. She perked up at the voice she recognised.

"Fugaku?" She knitted her eyebrows together in confusion before realisation dawned on her slow brain, she pulled the phone from her ear and reread the name of the caller. Fugaku Uchiha. She had never actually called him. She merely had his number in case of emergencies.

"O-Oh, I-I-I'm so s-s-sorry Mr. Uchiha! I meant to call Itachi. Please go back to sleep and forgive me for calling at such an hour." Hinata was about to hit the pretty red button and end her shame before she heard the voice respond, once again pulling the phone back to her ear.

"You're at that party Sasuke went to, I presume. I will be there in a bit to pick you up. Do not drive or get into the car with anyone else. You don't have to get Sasuke, I know he is staying. Naruto's house, correct?" Hinata blinked at the sudden authority behind the voice, the sleep suddenly gone as he seemed to process what was happening. She nodded silently but then realised he couldn't see her.

"Y-Yes Sir." She responded before she heard the line stop. She looked down at her phone and starred at the name she had mistakenly, _drunkenly_, called. Oh god, it's bad enough her own father would flame her alive if he ever heard what she was doing, but her soon to be father-in-law too? She placed her head in her hands. She was doomed. All those wishes of a happy family ruined as she imagined all future events with them being tarnished by the disapproving look of Fugaku staring at her in disdain of the night she had gotten careless and drunk around other people. She wanted to curl up in a hole and die. She groaned. Maybe she could call Itachi still? She shook her head. He said not to leave, don't want to make him any angrier. She stewed in anxiety as she waited, with increasing dread, as she tried to look for her in-law's car in the dark. After a long while, she spotted it. And stood as it rolled up to her feet. She went to open the front door without thinking and got into the car, buckling herself in without a second thought before she froze. Wondering if she was even allowed in the front seat. He hadn't said anything to her as she got in but what if he was so furious at her audacity that he couldn't get the words out, she turned to him, ready to get out and spew as many apologises as she could but the car started moving before she could do anything.

"I assume you meant to call Itachi, but I'm proud that you at least didn't try to drive home yourself or get someone else to take you." Her anxiety-driven thoughts suddenly halted. He was… proud? The comment took longer to process in her alcohol-infused mind as she tried to think of a response.

"Uh… I thought you would yell at me." Apparently, she was also a lot franker when she was drunk. Huh. She heard the man huff a laugh beside her.

"I may be strict, but I am still a Father. Your safety comes before anything. Itachi would be devastated if something happened to you and honestly, the whole family would." The comment left something warm and fuzzy inside her chest. She knew she was loved, but having someone like Fugaku admit it suddenly made it feel all the more real. She looked down at her hands, rubbing them together in an old habit when she was nervous.

"Itachi is lucky to have you." She muttered under her breath. But apparently a lifetime of being head chief in police force gave you supersonic hearing. Or at least very good hearing. She heard a soft snort come from the man beside her. Her head turned to witness the frown on his face.

"I don't think I'd go so far as to say that. I've done many things to those boys I'm not particularly proud of anymore." His voice seemed weary. Apparently, he wasn't as immune to the early hour as she thought. He seemed to be in his own head more than with her.

"The fact you're willing to admit that makes you a good Dad." She swallowed thickly. The salty prick of tears just behind her eyes as she forced it back, thinking of her own father. And the horrendous childhood she faced and his accusations that she was just not strong enough to live up to his parenting. Ridiculous.

"You picking me up shows you're a better dad. Mine wouldn't have even answered the phone at this hour. And if he did, his words wouldn't be so kind." She closed her eyes as she tried to will the tears away even harder. The ride seemed to slow down now. She breathed in deeply, her voiced shaky.

"You were hard on them. Itachi told me. But you learnt to be better. You learnt that it damaged them more then helped so you stopped. That doesn't make you a bad father. We're human. We make mistakes and no one teaches you how to be a good parent. It's just trial and error. Itachi and Sasuke and lucky to have you because you learnt from your mistakes. You stopped. You try your best to help them, support them, father them. That's what makes you a good dad. Not what you did. But what you do now matters. And I would die a hundred deaths to have that kind of father. Because mines not. Because mine chose the opposite path and when he found out his methods hurt me, he blamed me. He abused me. He abandoned me." Tears began to pour from her eyes as she couldn't contain them any longer. Perhaps drinking so much wasn't a smart idea, no matter how fun. It seemed to have opened old wounds she thought she had buried so deep they would never reopen. But one thought of how lucky Itachi was, sent her falling into that painful wound all over again and she couldn't help but blurt out all the feelings she'd had locked up over the years. To none other than her reserved father-in-law.

She didn't feel the car stop. She hadn't even heard him unbuckle his seatbelt and open his door. Through her hands rubbing her eyes, and the tears spilling she barely registered her own door being opened and her being unbuckled and pulled from the seat. The only thing that pulled her from her thoughts was the feeling of arms wrapping around her shoulders and the warmth that suddenly covered her freezing body. She felt the older man's hand gently pet down her hair as she cried into this chest. Cried out the years of abuse and bad memories. Cried out the yearning for a real father. And she clung to him, unsure of what would happen when she let go.

"You are not worthless. You do not deserve to be ignored. You do not deserve to be abandon. And he is not your Father. He is a man that had the privilege of knowing you and threw it away. You are loved. By Itachi. By Mikoto. Even Sasuke happily calls you his new sister. I know I'm not the best at showing it but even I. I'm proud to call you my daughter. You are my family and if you believe I'm a good father, I hope I can give that to you. I hope I can give you what he couldn't. I know I am not the most approachable man, and I scare you half to death most of the time. And I'll pretend this never happened once this night is over. But know this, my daughter, you are loved. You are our family. Not them. We cherish every accomplishment you make, we celebrate your birth every year and we will always be there for you because you are family. You are an Uchiha. Name or not." She suddenly felt like she broke. Tightening her hold on the larger man as she cried into his shoulder, shaking as she took in his words and tried to express how much it all meant to her. How scared she was that Fugaku would never accept her into his family. But here he was telling her she was his daughter. Accepting the responsibility of her new father. She couldn't help but smile so wide her face felt like it would crack.

She began to laugh through her tears as relief flooded her system. As she slowly began to calm down, she breathed deeply and thought back to his words. _Name or not._ Itachi and her were getting married soon. She'd been so afraid to not include her family. She wanted something traditional, her family was always traditional and she thought that's what Mikoto wanted to. She had pushed off the wedding longer than necessary because she was terrified of her family. She didn't want them there. She didn't want to feel their stares and judgement on the day she was supposed to be the happiest. She didn't want them to judge her new family, because they were everything she loved. Everything she needed. But as she clung to her new father figure, she realised she didn't have to. Just as Itachi had always said. She didn't have to have them there. She wasn't obligated to keep trying to extend a hand to people who continuously swiped it away, and she sure as hell didn't have to share her wedding day with them. She young woman swallowed suddenly and looked up at Fugaku with large red-streaked eyes.

"Will you give me away?" The man above her froze beneath her touch, she bit her lip, wondering if she had overstepped her boundaries. But instead of retreating, she tried to explain herself.

"I know it's not normal, it's just… I don't want the Hyuga to ruin my wedding. I don't want him to walk me down the aisle. You're the only person I see as a Father and I would appreciate it very much if you would." She looked down, scared to watch his reaction if he denied her. She wouldn't know what to do. And she may have just ruined a great bonding moment between them. But as she began to retreat within herself again, she felt his large arms embrace her further, resting his head above hers as he muttered with a gruff voice, trying to hide the emotion he felt.

"Nothing would bring me more honour, my daughter."

* * *

Hinata gets a real father. Woo. I hope you enjoy this sappy moment and sorry there is no Itachi. I promise he's in the next one with some extra loveliness. Reviews are always appreciated, they let me know you enjoy this. And thank you for those who reviewed, I get a big smile every time I get an alert.


	4. Planning

_**Planning **_

Itachi sighed in relief as he finally saw the door to his apartment. It had been such a long day, and he had stayed up late last night, worrying about Hinata not calling him. Only to have her show up at his door, telling him his father had driven her home, no less. It was a bit shocking if he had been honest until she told him what happened. Which had explained the redness around her eyes he was beginning to worry about. A part of him was happy they got to spend time together and seemed to break the ice, but he was worried that maybe it had stirred up some feeling Hinata wasn't ready to deal with yet. A family was a hard topic for her. Whenever it was mentioned between them, she would usually cry or freeze up. He understood, of course. She had explained what her life was like before him, and he could easily see how it affected her. But she was strong, and she was becoming more resilient of her family, and past the more, she grew into herself. He was proud of her in every way.

However, it didn't prepare him for the sight of her sitting on the ground in their living room, the coffee table pushed to the side as she was surrounded by paper, materials, flower petals, pens and much more. She seemed to always be busy with something whenever he was coming home. He smiled slightly at the sight of her. Legs crossed in a simple white dress, her hair up in a messy bun with pens sticking out everywhere. Biting down on her lip gently as she seemed to scan the floor with her eyes for something. Once she found a silver material, her eyes would light up as she reached forward to grab it, only to frown when she realised, she was too short to get it sitting down. He chuckled, which caused her to gasp and lookup.

"Itachi! You scared the daylights out of me! I didn't even hear you come in." She scolded but smiled up at him. She tried to get up to greet him. Still, he held a hand out, motioning for her to stay as he dropped his back leather bag by the front door and walked around to her, quickly grabbing the material she had been previously reaching for as he found a spot for him to sit down next to her. He raised an eyebrow as he handed her the clothe and looked down at the book she had previously been scribbling in. Hinata flushed bright red as she bit her lip.

"I… decided we should try and organise the wedding…I thought if you may want to that is, choose a date?" Hinata began her usual fidgeting with her hands when she was nervous about something. His eyebrows almost shot out of his forehead when he heard her. They had been engaged for 3 years. Every time actually committing came up, it was the same response. She wanted to; she just didn't know what to do about her family. It was always something holding her back. A part of him had once been worried if it was actually the thought of marrying him that scared her and her family was just a front, but once she had broken down about how guilty she felt about postponing the wedding always, and that she was so excited yet nervous of what her family would try and put she didn't want to risk his happiest day. He almost laughed at that. His happiest day was anything with her. It didn't matter if a monsoon ripped through their wedding, as long as he got to call her his wife, and vis versa, he would be the happiest man on the planet. But this was interesting. Maybe the talk with his father last night did help.

"I'm more than happy to choose a date, Love, you know this." He smiled down at her, which almost made her swoon. She was still so in love with him. She'd always heard that the honeymoon phase wears off eventually, but she never felt like it did. It had been 8 years already. And she was finally ready to forsake her father and do what was best for them. She smiled and nodded, leaning into his shoulder as she hummed.

"I was thinking about spring. That way a garden wedding would be nice. It wouldn't be too hot or cold for the guests, and the flowers would look beautiful." Hinata looked up at the man beside her, hoping his thoughts on their previous wedding plans hadn't changed much. They had initially decided they'd like a garden wedding, possibly at the uncle's estate which had a beautiful oak tree at the centre, and hedges of rose bushes. Plus, apparently, it had been sort of a custom to have family weddings there, and Hinata had been excited when she found out. Another smile graced his lips as he bent down and kissed her forehead, his heart beating harder than it should at the thought of seriously marrying his long-time fiancé. It indeed seemed like she was committing to it this time. But he supposed he should bring up the big issue before it went too far.

"What are we going to do about the Hyuga?" He could feel her instantly freeze, and a small part of him felt his heart fall once more. He really didn't want to wait anymore to marry the love of his life. But he understood she was not ready to deal with her toxic family and would wait forever for her.

"I've... decided that they're not welcome." Hinata looked up at him, nervousness in her eyes, but a small hint of stubbornness. He loved that stroke of determination. He smirked down at her. He had wanted her to say that for so long.

"And what made you finally decide? I'm absolutely happy about it, but I want you to be sure." It was Hinata's hearts turn to melt. How she loved this man. He and all his support could get her through anything. She thought for a moment, how to articulate her feelings completely that would reassure him she didn't want it any other way.

"They don't deserve it. They don't deserve to see me happy. They don't deserve to see and judge my new family and friends. I've tried to make amends time and time again, and they've made it very clear they do not wish to be a part of my new life, and this is the staple point of my new life. I'll no longer be a Hyuga after this. They will no longer have any ties to me, and I'm excited. This day is for us, and for once I want to be selfish, and I just want it about us. Not our clan's histories." She sighs out shakily after her small rant. These feelings had been there for quite some time. She was just scared to be selfish for once. But she wasn't really being selfish, was she? She just wanted to be happy and not have a constant cloud of doubt in the for of Hyuga following her around. Before she could think anymore, she felt warm lips envelop her own, before being pushed to the floor, over the utensils she'd been working with all evening. She hummed happily, feeling her cheeks burn as Itachi kissed her relentlessly, circling his arms around her waist as he pulled her to him tightly, their lips nipping and sucking at one another as they quickly began to lose oxygen. Finally, he released her due to lack of air. He rested his forehead to hers, grinning proudly at the sight of her red and flushing, panting slightly beneath him. _Cocky._

"I've waited for you to say that for 3 years now." Her body melted as she heard that. And it only reaffirmed her choice. This wedding wasn't all about her, either. It was Itachi's too, and he's had it delayed for far too long now. She smiled widely as she leaned up and pressed her lips to his sweetly for a moment, before staring into his dark eyes.

"We're finally going to get married." Something turned in his eyes, and he lifted her once more, pulling her into his lap and covering her shoulders in kisses.

"You'll finally be Mrs Hinata Uchiha." A shiver ran up her spine at the name. She liked it. No. She loved it. A giggled and bright grin left her as she felt giddy at the thought. She pulled him into a tight hug, one full of love and comfort as she whispered.

"I can't wait anymore." A swell surrounded his heart as he listened to her and hugged her even tighter. He was so in love with his woman, he didn't know if he could take her cuteness anymore.

"Oh! Would you like to see the plans I made today?" Hinata leaned back slightly, searching his face. He looked around and nodded, but wouldn't let her leave his lap. Hinata giggled and tried to escape causing him to frown playfully.

"I didn't say you could leave, though." Hinata laughed and swatted his shoulder gently.

"Itachi, I need to at least turnaround, I can't see anything." She giggled as he made an indecisive face, humming as if pondering if he would allow such a ridiculous request of leaving his lap. After a long, dramatic sigh, he released her, only to grab her waist and tug her down to him again the minute she turned around. She giggled up at him, his smirk evident on his face as he looked from over her shoulder. She grinned and reached for the scrapbook she had been working on all evening.

"So, I remembered we agreed on white, silver and red as the main themes. And with the rose bushes, I think it'll fit fantastically. The girls at the shop insisted they would be making the cake which we will have to go in and decide on one day." Itachi chuckled, not surprised his fiancés' workers wanted to do this for her. It was kind of them.

"And for the reception, I was thinking just white cloths with glittery silver banners over the top with fairy lights, a single red rose within a bouquet of white roses, all in a clear vase as a centrepiece! Ino helped me come up with a design, and it looked really nice. Here, I have a photo." Hinata reached for her phone, as she tried to find the correct thing, only to show it to Itachi excitedly. It was admittedly beautiful, but the sight of her getting excited to plan their wedding again, and giddily telling him everything made him swell with pride. He'd be happy with anything this little woman picked out for them.

"Oh. Another thing, we will need to pick songs for first dances and such, and I wasn't really sure about dancing. We've never really done anything like that, and I'm not sure about your family to." Indigo eyebrows pulled together as she looked worried, worried she'd offend him and his family about her doubts. A smirk curled on his lips.

"We're pretty good dancers, mother used to force us to learn with her. She and father once took dancing lessons together as well." Hinata looked up at him, beaming at the knowledge.

"Aw, that sounds so sweet. Imagining a teenage Itachi dancing with his mother is adorable too." She teased lightly, which made Itachi roll his eyes. Suddenly, he turned to the mess in front of them and began quickly picking everything up and placing it into a basket. Hinata sat on the floor quite puzzled but helped to clean up her mess, thinking that maybe he was just hungry and this was a quiet way of telling her it's time to do other things. And he was right. She had been doing this for hours and needed a break for today. As she continued to put things away, Itachi disappeared into the kitchen for a moment and reappeared with two glasses of wine, handing her one gently. She smiled sweetly and accepted, walking over to their sofa as they both began to unwind and talk about their day at work. It was a bit of an end of the week ritual for them both, they would curl up with wine and each other, either watching a movie or just talking to reconnect after a busy week where they don't usually get to see each other for more than a five hours a day after work and before bed.

Hinata spoke about how careful Matsuri had been since the cake accident. Still, she was slowing going back to her old self, and how the new cinnamon roll cupcakes recipe was slowly coming along, just a few more tweaks and it should be ready for sale. Itachi grinned and teased her about her odd food combinations, but she mere laughed and wrinkled her nose, tell him he never complained when eating them. Itachi paused for a moment, then shrugged in acknowledgement that she was right. Which only caused the young woman to giggle more. Itachi then talked about his student who were going to be finishing their placements soon, and how far they had come under him. He was impressed with their knowledge of anatomy, and some even mentioned they were thinking of continuing onto surgery after this placement. Hinata smiled at that. He really was a fantastic teacher; you could see the pride even though it was minimal in his actions and tone. She smiled and snuggled closer to him.

"I love you." She whispered softly to him, causing him to look down at her after a sip of his wine. He kissed her forehead and suddenly pulled out his phone, flicking through some apps, causing Hinata to look after his phone noticing it was music. She raised an eyebrow slightly, wondering if there was something he wanted to show her. But soon slow, jazz music played from the phone in extraordinary quality. Maybe she did need to look into getting a better phone. But as her mind wondered she felt Itachi stand up and move the coffee table once more, out of the way, creating a wide-open space. She sat up straight, placing her wine glass down as Itachi walked up to her with a smirk and offered her a hand. She smiled, her cheeks blooming red as she took his hand, receiving a kiss to her knuckles.

He pulled her up gently, but enough to pull her into his chest. She smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder as he cupped her waist. Their opposite hands entwined as Itachi began to lead her through a slow dance, her movements syncing with his easily, as he slowly guided her around the lounge room. She couldn't hold the grin that felt like it split her face, and even Itachi had a bright smile on his face as they danced together. He pushed her out, gently twirling her around, which caused her to laugh dizzily from the wine and fall back to his arms afterwards to regain herself. She had only had 3 glasses of wine and was a lightweight, but she couldn't help it. And she was having so much fun. They danced together for a while before slowing down, Hinata's arms wrapping around his neck. In contrast, his arm hung around her waist, gently swaying along as they murmured words of love and peace.

"I can't wait to marry you." Hinata murmured gently against his chest. Itachi rested his chin on her head and kissed her crown.

"Well, I can give you a small idea of what it will be like now. Just imagine there is an Eifel Tower outside." He grinned before, crouching and hooking his arms under her knees and back, lifting her bridal style. He twirls her around, which caused her to laugh and wrap her arms around his neck one more for safety. She smiled sweetly and leaned up to kiss him once more, all passion and want as he walked them to their bedroom. She couldn't wait to spend forever with this man.

* * *

There it is. Sorry, this took so long to get out. I'm actually a nursing student on placement, so you can imagine how that is at the moment. Stress. I have a few chapters lined up, but none of which I felt are ready for posting, so I made this one instead. The others should be out shortly.

Make sure to wash your hands, practice safe social distancing and most of all; be safe. Love you all!


	5. Know Your Boss

**Know Your Boss**

As much as he enjoyed his fiancés cooking prowess and was immensely proud of her successful business venture, the reality was, he never really visited her workplace very often. Well, scratch that, he didn't visit often when it was _open_. Many nights he had brought food to her because she had managed to completely wrap her life around a cake. He loved his fiancé, but frankly, she could be a workaholic… although there is not much room for him to talk on that regards. Uhm. The point was that he was not used to witnessing just how busy his loves shop really was at times. Of course, he had seen the numbers, and she talked about the success with him. But simply hearing those things and witnessing them, were two very different experiences. He stood outside the moderately sized shop. He leaned against the nearest post as he took in the sight of the queue that had developed out of the door to the little bakery. A sense of pride once again filled his chest. He wondered if he would be able to even get in the door without a horde of angry people telling him he was entitled and didn't deserve to cut the line. Although he assumed being a partial owner would grant him that curtesy. Maybe. With a small grin, muttered an apology to the older lady standing by the door and managed to squeeze himself through the entry. Narrowly missing her walking stick that seemed far to conveniently placed for trips to be an accident.

Managing to make it inside, he hummed appreciatively as he took in the décor. It really did look like a different place with it was bright and busy. The pale lavender walls were bright and soft, the name of the store in white calligraphy looked stunning, and he hadn't originally known it was there. He almost felt bad that it wasn't second nature to him. But really, he'd only ever walked thought here in the dark. The kitchen he knew far better. Walking into the shop further, he stood to the side of the cashier, allowing people to continue their orders, simply wanting to know if Hinata was indeed in the shop and hadn't run off the get some ingredients quickly. He continued to take in the scenery. Along the walls were tasteful decorations, paintings of pastries and cakes, with lots of plants on shelves creating a natural feel. The display case was filled to the brim with many different treats and delicacies he had witnessed Hinata experimenting with at some point in their kitchen. Almost all of which he had personally approved of. He watched as the items depleted quickly, only to be replaced just as fast. However, as he finished staring at the treats, and their almost magic ability to refill, he heard someone shouting.

"Sir! Sir! You can't just cut in line, I'm very sorry but you need to move to the end!" A loud red-headed woman stood at the register, her glasses gleaming as she frowned at him and crossed her arms. Clearly flustered at the number of people she was serving at a time. Itachi blinked for a moment. Not comprehending the words before he scanned her appearance once more. Oh. A cute knitted 'L' on a yellow background was pinned to her apron. A learner. It has been his idea to give them a patch that stated so when Hinata had expressed her concern about hiring new employees. She was scared they would be overwhelmed and that customers would get angry at the slow service. And by the looks of it, her fears were not entirely unjustified.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Let me introduce myself, I'm-" He smiled politely, understanding it was only a mistake and she most likely had no idea he was her bosses partner.

"I don't care you're some fancy-schmancy businessman or whatever, you have to wait like everyone else. You can't just barge into places with a pretty face and expect special treatment." He blinked once more. He wasn't sure what to say about that. Frankly, it irked him quite a bit. And frankly, it wasn't a good look for Hinata's business.

"Listen, I-" He tried again. And failed.

"Sir, if you do not get to the back of the line, now, you will not be served and banned from this establishment!" A frown actively curled on his lips. He highly doubted Hinata had given her that much power. She was a smart businesswoman. If she started banning people of something so minuscule, she would lose a lot of business. Suddenly there was a flash of blonde.

"Karin! What the heck are you doing? Why are you yelling?" Ino had promptly arrived on the scene, her purple apron covering in flour as she crossed her arms over her chest, scowling slightly at the red-head.

"What have we told you about treating customers nicely, even if they may not be the most accommodating. Manners, woman!" Ino had already begun her tirade, and frankly, Itachi wasn't upset by it. This, Karin, apparently, needed reprimanding. He knew first hand how ridiculous people could be at workplaces but you always had to remain professional.

"But he cut in line! There is a queue out the door and he thinks he can just waltz in and take over!" The redhead cried and pointed an accusatory finger at him. To which he merely blinked at once more and turned to Ino. Who had finally turned to him and almost busted into laughter when she realised who the fuss was over. Suddenly Karin was very confused at the sight of one of the seniors laughing at her. Growing angry she crossed her arms further, her face almost turning the colour of her hair.

"What?!" The blonde almost didn't hear her over the sound of her own laughter as she whipped her eyes from tears of mirth. Suddenly turning to Karin seriously, which in turn caused the woman to become even more confused and slightly scared. Very rarely was Ino serious.

"If you would like to keep your job, I would advise you to learn who your bosses are." Red eyes widened suddenly, flashing in fear as she turned to the dark-haired man in front of her she had previously been chewing out.

"B-boss? But, Hinata's the owner?" He could almost see the gears turning in her head, confusion rife within her. He cleared his thought impatiently.

"As I was trying to say; I am Itachi, Hinata's husband." Not completely the truth yet. But it was close enough and it held more power. He heard Ino snigger but chose not to comment.

"I was merely asking if she was in the kitchen so I could go see her. I wasn't planning to purchase anything, nor cut in line." The red once again filled her cheeks, this time in embarrassment. Frankly, he thought Hinata was much cuter when she blushed. But he may be slightly biased. Or a lot biased.

"Oh…" Was the only response that seemed to come from the flustered worker who now realised she had messed up, quite badly. "I'm sorry! I didn't realise you were her partner!" The redhead looked down at her feet, scuffing the ground in annoyance at her mistake.

"Regardless of who he is, you should not be so quick to shout and accuse. Especially, when you threaten to ban them." Karin almost snapped to attention when the voice echoed from behind the trio. A stern-faced Hinata stood by the doorway to the kitchen. Her hair tied into a messy high bun and colourful frosting covered her cheek. Her apron was also covered in flour, similar to Karins.

"Matsuri, can you please take over register for a moment, we have customers waiting." Hinata then turned to the couple who had previously been waiting to order, which had been interrupted and prolonged due to the circumstances.

"I'm terribly sorry about the wait and trouble, please order whatever you would like and it will be completely on the house." A sweet smile finished the comment and the couple who had previously been annoyed were soon smiling and thanking her profusely, stating the wait was no big deal. Hinata then turned her attention to the trio.

"In the kitchen, now." She turned her back and lead them into the large space, people running around and pulling things from ovens, icing cakes, filling pastries, and a multitude of other things lined the benches. She turned to each of them, particularly Karin and sighed. Asking Ino if she could watch over the kitchen for a moment. The blonde nodded and turned to the rest of the employees, yelling at them to get back to work in good nature.

Hinata smiled and shook her head. She then turned back to the young girl. She had only started working here a week prior and she was an incredible worker, just very blunt when it came to customers. Hinata had thought with more exposure, she would be able to change her attitude a little, however, that didn't seem to be the case.

"Karin, we have been over this already. You cannot treat customers in such away. We will lose business. Not only with that person but with the people that witness it and disagree. Someone could have been filming you yelling at a customer, put it on social media and then my business would suffer because now I have the stigma of bad customer service." Hinata's usually sweet voice had taken a stern edge. Almost one that a mother would give their own child when they misbehaved. Itachi would be lying if he didn't find it attractive watching her be a boss. A small sigh left the woman's lips as she looked at the young woman who seemed to deflate before her eyes. Karin was recommended to her by an employment business. Specifically, one that specialised to finding jobs for those with less than stellar backgrounds. She knew it wouldn't be easy and understood there would be challenges, and this was just one of those challenges. If she was honest, Karin was an incredible worker, and she was very grateful to give her a stable job. She just needed a bit more help.

"One more chance. I can't risk losing business but I will give you one more chance because I know you can be a fantastic worker; you just need to be a bit more mindful with other people. Now go and help restock the display case. Watch how Matsuri handles customers." Karin immediately nodded and muttered a quiet but grateful thank you before returning to her work. Itachi turned to his partner and hummed in thought. Hinata finally turned her attention to him, visually relaxing as she smiled up at him and raised an eyebrow.

"What?" She began walking to her small office, away from the prying eyes of her co-workers. She was the boss but she didn't really show off Itachi much to her employees. Every time he came, he would do something embarrassing and she would get a wave of taunts and winks from everyone that would turn her bright red. He smirked and followed behind her, knowing why she was running to hide with him.

"I would have fired her if she was one of my residents." He closed the door behind him. Hinata sat in her office chair, leaning back tiredly as Itachi leaned against the desk comfortably.

"I know. But if a resident chewed out a patient, the consequences would have been a lot more serious. Here, it's just cake." A small smile curled on her lips as she stared up at her serious lover.

"Besides, I'm feeling happy." A small smirk once again etched itself on his lips, as he walked closer to her.

"Hm? And why might that be?" Hinata giggled as Itachi knelt before her, his hands clutching her armrests, effectively caging her in her seat. She shimmied forward and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, lifting her legs so the curled around his waist lazily.

"I got a surprise visit from my favourite person. Very surprising, considering its daylight outside and his only day off this week. I thought you would be sleeping." She knitted her eyebrows together in obvious worry. He hummed and planted his forehead on hers.

"I was lonely and missed you." Her heart fluttered. People often asked her if she found his bluntness to be intimidating. And sometimes, yes. It was. But times like this, she adored it. She tightened her hold on him and moved in to kiss him sweetly, demonstrating just how much she missed him too.

"Hey Hina, did you..- Oop. Sorry to interrupt!" Ino poked her head in momentarily, causing Hinata to pull away in embarrassment, her face bright red as she witnessed Ino's Cheshire grin from the door before disappearing. Itachi only grinned to himself as Hinata tried to untangle herself and go set things straight with Ino. However, he wasn't lying when he said he missed her. And kisses were just one thing he missed, so he pulled her back to him.

* * *

So, with the world going crazy, I kind of forgot about this. But here you are. A little fluff. Nothing fantastic but I think next, I'll do the wedding. I had a bit I want to put into it so it's taking time to formulate how I want it. But I should get it done soon.

Hope you enjoyed, please review. I love waking up to lovely messages. 3


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